Click. Click. Click. Aric jolted awake, and moved painfully from his crouched position, trying to be as quiet as possible. He knew he'd heard something but wasn't sure if he was dreaming. He picked up the scanner and moved it slowly over Corso, sighing when the results were the same as they had been since they'd brought the large Mantellian to the shuttle. He was digging through a gear bag when he heard the clicking again, and froze, his heartbeat picking up. That was a droid, he thought, and silently grabbed his rifle, looking around the opened end of the shuttle. He caught the gleam of polished metal and silently swore. He eased out of the shuttle and up onto the roof, staying behind a strut for cover. He saw the lone skytrooper as it walked at a leisurely gait across the bay. It looks confused, Aric thought, and brought the rifle up to look through the scope.

The movement must have triggered the skytrooper and he brought his own weapon up. As one, both Aric and the droid fired at the same instant, searing hot plasma heading from the ends of the firearms at the opponent. Aric's shot hit between the seams of the skytrooper's armored torso and it went down in a heap. The skytrooper's shot hit Aric in the right shoulder, sending him flying off the top of the shuttle and landing hard on the deck. Aric tried to stand, but the concussive effect of the fall had hurt as much as the plasma, and he lay back, panting.

Tora was panting through the end of another contraction. How many more, she wondered, as she tried to catch her breath, her lips dry and her head pounding. Maura looked up at the monitors, and saw that Tora was getting closer to pushing her daughter into this world, and spooned some ice into the laboring woman's mouth. "You're doing great," Maura assured her blue haired patient, and saw her weak nod. Tora was tiring, and the effort of childbirth was taking a toll on them both. It's been almost six hours since they left, Maura realized, and her worry grew. She'd given up on trying to contact them, and Tora had needed her attention. Maura could only hope that her family was safe, and that they were on their way back.

Miriah and Devin had moved steadily, even after the Gemini captain had detained them in an elevator, making Devin use his considerable force ability to get them out. They'd seen some skytroopers, and Miriah had gleefully blasted as many as she could. Her mind never far from her injured husband, she took her frustration and fear out on the metal combatants. Devin was trying to conserve energy, he had a feeling the captain would require his entire focus soon, and had used his lightsaber to decimate the groups they'd stumbled upon. Finally, they could see Theron's back as they approached the meeting spot.

Lana let out a sigh of relief as she saw the Commander walking toward them. "There you are," she said with a smile. "Let me introduce you to the ship's cargo, en route to the Eternal Throne." They walked together to a detention cell, a force field still in place. "This is Admirial Zasha Ranken, one of the few experienced officers to survive Zakuul's conquest. You may recall her from your time on Kuat."

"It's a great pleasure to see you again," Ranken said, her Imperial accent crisp. They moved to the next cell.

"Tai Corden, former president of Balmorra. Now with the Galactic Senate." Lana was less impressed by the Balmorran, and Miriah took a long, measured look at her Sith friend. After acknowledging each other, Senya took over at the next cell.

"And finally, Melita Tal. She was a popular holo performer back home. She became one of the first to openly question Arcann's rule. It was either go into exile or be killed."

Miriah met the gaze of the older woman in the cell. "A pleasure and an honor. You inspire me. You inspire us all," Melita told her, and Miriah blushed.

"Why are these people being taken to Arcann?" Miriah was confused by their capture, and wondered what their value was.

"You, in essence. We all wanted to be a part of the Alliance, but we didn't know how. So we formed our own," Melita explained. "In searching for you, we found each other."

"We all knew influential people whose ears we could bend," Tai Corden continued. "Loyalties we could ensure. So we started an alliance of our own. It wasn't long before we were found out, and captured."

"Arcann assumes we are affiliated with you," Ranken said, taking up the story. "He wants to interview us, to discover where you are."

"You all have a place with us," Miriah told them. She could see the relief in their faces as they took in her words. Theron broke through the encryption, and the force fields fell, allowing the parties in the cells to move into the hallway.

Aric finally felt like he could take air in again, and moved into the shuttle. Once there, he dug one handed through the gear bag, finally finding kolto packs. Jamming two injections into his shoulder, he soaked one of Corso's tshirts in kolto and packed it into his wound, swearing as it burned the ragged flesh. He slid down the wall to sit on the floor, it's coolness helping dry the sweat the pain had left on his fur. He stuggled to control his breathing, finally feeling his body calm with the infusion of the kolto, and looked at his friend. What a fine pair we make, he thought wryly, and closed his eyes, waiting for whatever came next.

The captain's voice came through the intercom. "That took you four minutes less than I'd figured," she said. "I hope my calibrations haven't been affected."

Miriah turned to the group. "Stay here, until we secure the bridge," she told them. "You'll be safer this way."

Lana was shaking her head. "I'll go with you," she said, but Miriah stopped her with an upturned hand.

"I have Devin. We'll be able to make quick time to the bridge, and you'll be able to help get everyone to the shuttle." Her tone told them that she'd made up her mind, and Lana hugged her friend.

"Be safe," she said softly, and Miriah whispered to her.

"He's really okay?" Lana nodded and they parted, each moving to their appointed journeys.

"I don't see that happening, Commander. But I do want you to try. I want you to try with all your might." The tones of the Gemini captain mocked the group, and Miriah's anger began to grow, just as wave of skytroopers approached. The hum of lightsabers and the high pitched sound of blasters pierced the quiet, and they fought wave after wave of the droids. Finally, they were alone, and Miriah turned to Devin. With a short look between them, they started off.

Tora strained against the strong contraction, and Maura encouraged her again to breathe. Gasping, Tora turned her sweating, red face to the medic. "I can't do this anymore. She can just stay in there. I'm going to go have a shower and we'll go again tomorrow, okay?" The pleading in her voice pierced Maura's heart and she hugged the smaller woman.

"Not much longer now, Tora. You're ready to push. With the next contraction, I want you to focus on pushing that baby out," she said, pulling the head of the bed up to let Tora relax in a sitting position.

"I can't," Tora wailed. "I can't do anything else!"

"You can," Maura told her. "This is the homestretch. Take a minute while you can to rest, but when the next one comes, push!" Maura could visibly tell when Tora's tired muscles bunched again, and saw her bear down. "That's it, Tora! Perfect!"

"That actually felt good, like I'm not fighting anymore," Tora said with a note of wonder in her voice. When the next contraction started, barely three minutes later, she was ready, and the women worked together, the baby's birth getting closer with each push.

Aric startled awake, and went still, listening. It must have been a dream, he thought, then he tried to sit up and realized he had indeed been shot. He groaned at the searing pain, and fell back on the bulkhead. Corso, he thought, and grunting with the effort, got to his knees and over to where his friend still lay motionless. The scanner ran, and while the numbers weren't as good as they had been before, they were still green. Aric let out a deep breath and saw the resulting cloud as it hit the frigid air. He pulled himself to stand by small increments, and after several minutes, he was able to reach the overhead storage. With his one good hand, he pulled blankets out of the compartment and tucked two around Corso, leaving one for himself. He managed to wrap it around him, and settled into the long seat opposite his friend. Well, we'll either freeze to death here, or another round of troopers will find us, he thought. Wonder how the rest are doing? He attempted to contact the group with his comm link, but no one responded and only static came across the device. He threw it deep into the shuttle and closed his eyes, putting his hand out to his side. When it touched a water bottle, his vivid green eyes flew open, and he drank deeply. The water revived him some, and he saw that he'd gotten it from a crate of rations that had shaken loose in their semi-crash landing. He smiled, and felt hope again.

Miriah and Devin had met surprisingly little resistance on their way to the bridge, just the occasional pair of the shiny skytroopers. Once they got close, there were more worries than droids, and they'd already had to get around the cutting laser beams that triggered from the ceiling, and the random gas clouds. When they finally reached the bridge, Miriah turned to her son. "Dev, there's no way she's alone in there. Whatever happens, you get out and get Dad to the Gravestone." He tried to protest, but she interrupted him. "Promise me, Devin. Calypso needs one of us, and he's already hurt." They fell silent, and the look between them spoke volumes.

"I will get us both out, and we'll fly back with Dad," he said, his voice steady and sure. Miriah had her reservations, but she finally nodded and he hugged her. "I love you, Mom. I won't lose you again, no matter what." He felt her fatigue through the force then, and before she could speak, he led her to the hallway, sitting her down and pulling out ration bars and water. "Here, let's prepare. It's been hours since you ate, and we both need to hydrate." Silently they chewed, and after they both felt more energetic, Devin stood. "Use the force to bolster you, Mom. Let yourself be open to whatever it can give you."

"I will," she said, and closed her eyes, finding her center. When she felt the rush of calm and warmth, she almost smiled. "Let's go."

Tora's face was almost purple with the strain, but for the last hour she'd pushed as hard as she could. She wailed as the contraction ended and collapsed back onto the bed, exhaustion overwhelming her. Maura was ready, and when Tora sat back, she could see the baby girl's head. "She's almost here, Tora," Maura said, her voice holding the wonder of birth. "One more push. I can see her head, she has lots of hair!"

Despite herself and her fatigue, Tora laughed, but it ended on a grunt as another contraction started. "C'mon, mom! Oh, her head is through! She's beautiful, Tora. Pant now, give me a moment to get her shoulders ready," Maura instructed, her thoughts only on the tiny baby in her hands. "With the next contraction, just push gently, okay?" Tora nodded, panting, and their eyes met. "You've been a champ," Maura told her, and saw a tear escape the young woman's eye. Moments later, Tora was rewarded with the sight of her daughter, lifted into Maura's arms as the medic suctioned her nose and mouth, and with the sound of her newborn cries. "Well, hello there, little one," Maura said, her face lighting with a huge smile. She quickly wiped the baby down and wrapped her in a warmed blanket before handing her to Tora.

Aric was freezing. He briefly considered a fire, but knew there was nothing to use for fuel. He glanced at Corso, and immediately knew what he needed to do. He moved over to where his friend lay, and as gently as he could, he pushed Corso over in the folded down seats before laying beside him and covering them both with the three blankets. Instantly, he felt warmer. Corso didn't move, or make any sound, but the scan was the same. Hurry, Aric thought. Or you'll find bodies instead of injured.

Devin felt there was more wrong than right, but took a deep breath. Mom needs to stay focused, and any more distraction from the others will interfere with that, he reasoned, and turned to follow her into the room where their destiny lay, determined to come out alive with his mother at his side.